If I made you a special forces soldier, would you become a terrestrial god?

At the entrance of the Beijing Military Region compound, the sentries stood ramrod straight, their eyes scanning passersby like hawks. This was the core of the Chinese military, every brick and tile exuding solemnity and gravity; the level of security was beyond the comprehension of outsiders.

A taxi stopped a hundred meters away.

Su Chen carried the worn-out suitcase and walked step by step toward the door that was both familiar and unfamiliar.

Four years.

The two rows of poplar trees at the entrance have grown even thicker, and newly painted slogans on their trunks have covered the mottled old marks. Everything is changing, yet it seems like nothing has changed at all.

Just as he was about to step forward to complete the registration process, he caught a glimpse of a figure out of the corner of his eye.

Not far from the entrance of the compound, a girl in a white dress was standing on tiptoe, constantly looking towards the intersection, her ponytail swaying gently with her movements. Her anxiety could be clearly felt even from a distance.

The girl had fair skin and delicate features, like a fine brush painting. Her elegant and refined temperament made the noisy background pale in comparison.

is her.

Du Feifei.

Su Chen's breath hitched, and he instinctively stopped in his tracks.

The floodgates of long-sealed memories were suddenly flung open.

That little girl who always had snot bubbles hanging from her nose and insisted on being carried home by him.

That girl, just beginning to experience love, blushing as she secretly slipped a pink envelope into his schoolbag.

The girl who held his hand on the eve of his enlistment, her eyes red, and urged him, "You must come back safely."

Four years of blood and fire, four years of military training, are enough to sculpt a stubborn rock into a sharp blade. His once tranquil and serene state of mind was stirred by a pebble thrown into his eyes the moment he saw this figure, creating the most mundane ripples.

As if on cue, Du Feifei turned her head without even realizing it.

Eyes facing each other.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

A moment of bewilderment flashed across Du Feifei's bright eyes, followed by utter astonishment, and finally, she was completely overwhelmed by a flood of joy and grievance.

She saw it.

That face, less youthful than four years ago, now possessed sharp, angular features, and its eyes were so deep they seemed to hold the entire night sky. Yet, those features, those brows and eyes, were etched into her very bones, a form she had repeatedly sketched during countless nights of longing.

"Chen...Brother Chen?"

Her voice was soft, with a tremor she herself was unaware of, as if afraid that everything before her was just another dream that was too real.

Su Chen looked at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, and nodded to her.

That smile, that nod, was like a key that instantly unlocked the floodgates of Du Feifei's emotions. All the strength she had maintained and the long wait crumbled in that moment.

Tears welled up and streamed down my face.

She no longer cared about being a lady; lifting her skirt, she rushed towards Su Chen like a moth drawn to a flame.

Pedestrians on the street, sentries at the door, everything around her quickly faded and disappeared in her world.

In her eyes, there was only the man she had been thinking about for over 1,400 days and nights.

"Waaah...Brother Chen!"

With a sob in her voice, Du Feifei buried her face in Su Chen's arms.

A soft body, carrying a familiar fragrance, crashed solidly into his arms, making even Su Chen's rock-solid heart tremble. He instinctively reached out and embraced the girl who had run so desperately towards him.

"You finally decided to come back...you bastard! You scoundrel!"

Du Feifei's fists rained down on Su Chen's broad, solid chest, but they were weak and powerless. She cried like a child who had suffered a great injustice, without any rhyme or reason.

She buried her face in Su Chen's chest, turning all the longing, worry, fear, and grievances of the past four years into scalding tears that soaked his clothes.

Su Chen held her in his arms, feeling her body trembling violently, and his heart was filled with a deep sense of guilt.

He raised his hand and gently stroked her long, smooth hair, his voice low and gentle: "I'm back."

These four simple words are more powerful than any explanation.

Du Feifei cried even harder, as if she wanted to shed all the tears she had shed over the past four years at once.

"Where did you go...? Why haven't you sent a single letter? Not even a phone call? I asked Uncle Su and Aunt Su, and they only said you were on a special mission... I... I'm so scared... I thought you..."

Her voice choked with emotion, and she could no longer continue.

Su Chen's heart felt as if it had been pierced by fine needles.

He cupped her tear-streaked face in his hands and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with his thumb. Looking at her eyes, red from crying yet still clear, and her pink lips trembling slightly from her sobs, Su Chen could no longer suppress the torrent of emotions that had been building up for four years.

He leaned down and kissed her.

Well!

Du Feifei's sobs were silenced, and she suddenly opened her eyes wide.

His lips held an undeniable strength, yet contained boundless tenderness and longing. That familiar yet unfamiliar scent instantly overwhelmed all her senses.

My mind is blank.

She simply followed her body's most instinctive reaction, closed her eyes, stretched out her arms, and tightly wrapped them around Su Chen's neck, clumsily but passionately responding to the kiss.

It was as if all the emptiness and waiting of the past four years were being filled in at this moment.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Their breathing was a little rapid. Du Feifei's cheeks were as red as ripe apples, delicate and alluring. She shyly buried her head back in Su Chen's arms, not daring to look at him, her voice barely audible.

"You bastard...you just like to bully me."

Su Chen chuckled softly, his laughter filled with doting affection. He took her hand, their fingers intertwined tightly, the warm touch making him feel at ease.

"Let's go home."

"Um."

Du Feifei nodded obediently, letting him lead her, just like when she was a child, following him step by step.

Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage of the tree-lined path, casting dappled shadows on the ground and stretching their long, intertwined shadows.

The sentry at the gate watched this scene and gave a knowing smile. He didn't step forward to question them, but silently pressed the door open button in the guard post next to him.

For some people, their face is their passport.

Walking along the familiar tree-lined path, Du Feifei turned her head to look at Su Chen's resolute profile and asked softly, her tone carrying a hint of cautious anticipation.

"Brother Chen, are you leaving again this time you're back?"

"I'm not leaving." Su Chen turned his head, looked into her eyes, and answered without the slightest hesitation, "I'm on vacation, at least I can stay for a long time."

Upon hearing this answer, Du Feifei's face, still streaked with tears, finally blossomed into a radiant smile, as beautiful as a summer flower.

She suddenly stopped, tiptoed, and quickly kissed Su Chen on the cheek. Then, like a startled deer, she blushed and ran a few steps away, turning back to make a playful face at him.

Looking at her charming and adorable appearance, Su Chen's sense of transcendence and indifference, which belonged to the "land immortal," was gradually melted away by this most authentic and down-to-earth atmosphere.

"Oh, right, Brother Chen, I graduated!" Du Feifei caught up with him, walking alongside him again, her tone tinged with pride. "Beijing Medical University, eight years of combined bachelor's and doctoral studies, pretty impressive, right!"

"Amazing," Su Chen exclaimed sincerely.

"And..." Du Feifei's tone suddenly became serious, "I have already submitted my enlistment application."

Su Chen paused, looking at her with some surprise.

Du Feifei met his gaze, her eyes more determined than ever before: "I want to go to a military hospital. I've made up my mind, I want to be a military doctor."

"Your family..." Su Chen knew that Du Feifei's family background was extraordinary. Her grandfather was a highly respected old commander in the Southeast Military Region, and her father was also an active-duty division-level general, making them a family of military prowess. Such a family might not be willing to let their only daughter also walk this arduous path.

Sure enough, Du Feifei pouted, "My dad was the first to object, and he was so angry he almost overturned the table. He said there are enough people in our family wearing military uniforms, and we don't need another one. He wants me to stay in the best hospital in Beijing and live a stable life."

"So what do you think?" Su Chen asked.

"I don't want to live that kind of life." Du Feifei shook her head, her gaze becoming distant. "Brother Chen, for the past four years, all I could do was wait for you. Every time I heard even the slightest bit of news about the border conflict from Uncle Su, I couldn't sleep all night. That feeling of helplessness was too agonizing."

Her voice lowered: "My brother... Du Fei, he's also at the National Defense University, you know?"

Su Chen nodded.

"He used to be such a proud person, but after he hit a wall in front of you, he came back and told me a lot. He said that he used to think that war was a simulation on a sand table, an arrow on a map. It wasn't until he truly understood what you were saying that he realized that war is the life and death of every soldier, and the blood on every inch of land."

Du Feifei took a deep breath, her eyes brightening again: "So, I want to go. I don't want to be a girl who can only pray from the rear anymore. If I can't be at the forefront like you, at least I hope I can stand closer to you. Even if it's just treating a soldier like you, I'll feel like we're fighting side by side."

Su Chen was touched by her words.

He stopped and looked at her intently: "What did your grandfather say?"

"Grandpa?" Du Feifei smiled, a sly smile on her face. "After hearing what I said, Grandpa was silent for a long time, and then he only said one sentence: 'The fledglings of our Du family, once their wings have hardened, all want to fly to the sky.' He neither agreed nor disagreed. My dad couldn't do anything about it, so the matter remained at a stalemate."

Su Chen understood; the old commander had tacitly approved.

He ruffled Du Feifei's hair and said, "Then go ahead. Do whatever you want, I'll take care of you."

"Yes!" Du Feifei nodded emphatically, her eyes welling up with tears again. His words were more important than anything else.

The outline of home is getting closer and closer.

It was a familiar two-story building, and in the yard, the roses that my mother had planted were in full bloom.

Before they even reached the door, Du Feifei suddenly grabbed Su Chen, nervously straightened her hair and dress, and then patted off the wrinkles in Su Chen's clothes.

"I've been crying, my eyes must be swollen. My aunt will definitely laugh at me if she sees them..." she muttered to herself.

Su Chen chuckled, took her hand, and walked up the steps.

He reached out and rang the doorbell.

A few seconds later, the door opened.

His mother, Zhou Yulan, opened the door. When she saw her son outside, she was stunned for a moment, and then the spatula in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

"Little...Little Chen?"

"Mom, I'm home."

Zhou Yulan's tears streamed down her face instantly. She hugged her son tightly, too moved to speak.

"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back..."

In the living room, Su Jianguo, the father who was watching military news, quickly walked over upon hearing the noise. This usually stern and unsmiling army commander trembled violently the moment he saw his son, and his bloodshot eyes surged with complex and intense emotions.

His lips moved a few times, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he only managed to utter two words in a hoarse voice.

"...You're back."